by Paul Goodman It's worth keeping an eye on the progress of the NAME bill – the measure that paves the way for a referendum on AV and a reduction in the number of Commons seats. On Tuesday evening, Bernard Jenkin argued that the May 5 poll date should be moved – because some parts […]
At questions to the MP representing the House of Commons Commission (Nick Harvey) yesterday, a succession of Conservative MPs raised issues about the cost of the recently refurbished Bellamy's Bar being turned into a nursery for the children of MPs and House of Commons staff… Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold): This important issue has not suddenly arisen […]
Iain Duncan Smith, Peter Bottomley and others have joined Edward Leigh to call for the Speaker to take on the powers currently held by the Leader of the Commons. This is the Early Day Motion initiated by Mr Leigh: "That this House believes that the Government should not control all the time on the floor […]
Edward Leigh has been MP for Gainsborough since 1983, is chairman of the Public Accounts Committee and founded the Cornerstone Group of Conservative MPs. He is co-editor of The Nation that Forgot God, which is to be published next week by the Social Affairs Unit. I applaud the Archbishop of Canterbury for his recent lecture […]
There are a number of intriguing written answers in the latest edition of Hansard. Shoreham & East Worthing MP (and Shadow Minister for Children) Tim Loughton uncovered some diplomatic buckpassing by the Government, through a question to the Olympics Minister: "To ask the Minister for the Olympics if she will invite the Dalai Lama to […]
These are extracts only from some of the Conservative MPs who contributed to yesterday’s debate on abortion. Read the full debate here and click here for yesterday’s ToryDiary entry on the subject. Edward Leigh MP on the foetus at 12 weeks: "We believe that an unborn child of 12 weeks has undeniable human characteristics. Her […]
Edward Leigh MP says that there is a better, ethically uncomplicated way of tackling disease: "Adult stem cell research has been much more successful than embryonic stem cell research: "Particularly in the public mind, the debate has been clouded by the sense that there are diseases out there waiting to be cured. Enormous advances have […]
Edward Leigh MP: "The Government have alienated the Muslim minority in this country and throughout the world through their policies on Iraq, in particular, and Afghanistan, to a lesser extent. It is well known that I voted against the Iraq war, and I shall not go over that again. However, in the Liaison Committee over […]
Philip Davies in support of the new Clause 1 of the Crown Employment (Nationality) Bill argues that we need safeguards to protect people in the eventuality of the Human Rights Act being repealed, and that the cost of an appeals tribunal to monitor this law would be small compared to Government waste and expenditure: My […]
Edward Leigh, MP for Gainsborough, is this week’s parliamentary diarist on the Cornerstone blog. He has given today’s entry to ConservativeHome due to temporary technical problems. 1) Iraq Last Monday I asked a question to the Defence Secretary (Column 11, Commons Hansard): Edward Leigh: Is the Secretary of State aware of the recent comments of […]
Edward Leigh is Conservative MP for Gainsborough and Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee. With John Hayes he leads the Cornerstone Group of Tory MPs. Now that the dust has settled over Gordon Brown’s Budget, the Conservative Party should recognise that it has the greatest opportunity in a generation to champion the case for lower […]
By Edward Leigh MP. Introduction: A sorry state of affairs Recently I was day-dreaming about what I might write on the subject of the first ten years of a Conservative government, if it happens, of course, and if I’m still around in 2020. So here goes, but just in case some eager Labour party researcher […]